Archive for January, 2014

Nature is one of the biggest gifts to mankind. However, mankind does not seem to have enough respect to take care of things bestowed to them by nature. And, the same is obvious seeing the extinction rate of our tigers. Over 100 years ago, the population of tigers was 100,000 and as on today the number stands for just 3,200. Sounds disappointing! Where are the tigers vanishing? Tigers are the world’s largest cat species and have existed for around two million years.

Historically, hundreds and thousands of tigers roamed across Asia, however currently the numbers have plummeted drastically. They have been destroyed and degraded.

As on today, tigers are one of the most endangered species. In a lot many countries, the entire population of tigers has gone extinct

The key findings from many years of study of tiger population have indicated that tigers are declining in numbers due to the following reasons.

Why are tigers disappearing?

Illegal Trading

The biggest threat is consumer demand for tiger parts. Poached relentlessly by hunters is leading to the extinction of tigers. Tigers are killed for their body parts. Every body part of tigers that is from whiskers to tail is traded at illegal wildlife markets. Few parts of their body are used for traditional medicine and is also an increasing status symbol among Asian cultures. In the past 10 years, over 1,000 tigers have been killed and their parts have been trafficked to meet the consumer demand in Asia. Parts of a single tiger itself fetch around $50,000 in the black market, making poaching a very alluring activity in the market. Claws, teeth and whiskers are believed to provide good luck and protective powers.

Tiger Captivity in US

The United States has one of the largest populations of captive tigers in the world – estimated to 5,000 tigers. They are mostly found in zoos and rescue centers. In fact in US, a majority of them are even in private hands and end up living in their backyards.

Human Tiger Conflict

With the human population increasing immeasurably, we are encroaching into the tiger habitat leading to increased competition between tigers and people over living space and food. Humans and tigers are competing for space. This conflict is a threat to the world’s remaining tigers and is a serious problem for communities living near the tiger forests. With forests shrinking and prey getting scarce, tigers are forced to hunt domestic livestock that many local communities depend upon for their livelihood. In retaliation to this, tigers are killed and captured. The ‘conflict’ tigers are known to end up for sale in black markets. Local community dependence in forests for fuelwood, timber and food increase the risks of tiger attacks.

Poor Genetic Diversity Threat to Tigers

The genetic diversity is leading to tigers extinction. The tiger population is showing loss of many alleles and that is due to an isolated population without much genetic exchange. Downfall in the variety of their mating partners has resulted in lack of genetic diversity. And, this is again happening due to the loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation that is lowering the population size and the prevention of tigers from dispersing.

On an average tigers give birth to 2-3 cubs in every 2 to 2.5 years. In case if all the cubs in a litter die, the second litter would be produced within 5 months.

The impact of the death of a single tiger is much beyond a single loss. In case the tiger killed is a female then even their cubs are likely to die without their mother. In case if a male tiger dies then his death can result in an intensive competition for his territory among the surviving males in the population creating disruption in further breeding of the males

Lack of Wildlife Management

A lot of diseases are taking a toll on wildlife that includes the predators as well. Numerous animals are dying and there is no way their cause of death can be ascertained. There is an urgent need to incorporate this field in the area of wildlife conservation.

In the next article, we will discuss about as the solutions as what we can do to preserve our tigers, before the last tiger disappears.

Colours play a very important role in affecting our moods. Experts have even stated that using specific shades for your home can also impact on your well being and also for those within that space.

Room colours, particularly of your home can dramatically affect on your moods and feelings to a considerable extent. When it comes to decorating your home, one should select colours wisely. Each one of us has a separate perception for colours. All of us build our perceptions about colours deeply based on our experiences and culture.

Although each one of us have our own personal takes on colours, but choosing the right shade for your home is just more than choosing any bucket of paint that appeals you. Experts have suggested that it is important to truly analyze how a colour makes us feel rather than just following the usual trends.

Dr. Sally Augustin, a fellow at the American Psychological Association stated that emotional responses to colours depend upon their saturation and level of brightness. Colours that are less saturated and relatively bright like sage green are quite relaxing to look at. On the other hand, saturated colours and not too bright like rich sapphire blue look quite energizing.

Here is a list of few colours suggested by the experts.

RED

Red is a big no – no for your bedroom. The colour red does stimulate a lot of energy, promotes liveliness and excitement but the colour is not a good choice for your bedroom. However, the colour is a good choice for your dining or living room where people prefer to sit down for a chat, discussion or a dinner. As the colour stimulates one’s energy and promotes liveliness and is exactly the colour required when mingling with your friends. Also, the colour is good to spark your appetite.

BLUE

The colour blue is better known for its soothing and serene effects. Certain shades of blue have very soothing effects. And, the colour aims to provide calmness and helps in sleeping. The soft variations of blue have a very cooling effect when applied on the wall.

BROWN

Chocolate brown painted on all the four walls makes the place look more like a cocoon. The room would give more of a cozy and safe feeling where in you can snuggle yourselves on your bed.

PURPLE

Lavender is quite a rich colour but it again depends upon the hue that is being used. The colour was used a lot in royalty and there are some people who signify the colour purple with wealth as well. Therefore, the colour is an ideal option for those who wish to make their home look more luxurious with minimal effort. However, some experts have stated that the colour purple tends to stimulate the creative part of the brain. And, bedroom is the place where we should rest or brain, so not a very appropriate colour again.

BLACK

The colour black does have the ability to give bare walls an elegant flair. But, some have even suggested that black colour invokes negative feelings. The colour provokes negative feelings of melancholy. Using black in small doses or going for a lighter shade like grey is a good option instead.

In the previous article, we discussed a few points on developing a positive mindset. Here is a few more adding to the list:

Learn from Past Experiences: Taking lessons in a classroom is always different from actually experiencing things in real. In school, we learn the lesson before taking the exam. In real life, we take the exam first and then learn the lesson. Therefore, in real life the test is our experiences. If we fail in the test then it means that we did not have a good experience. In such cases, we examine the scenario first and learn the lesson. And, this helps us to avoid committing the same mistake again and again.

Detach yourself from the outcome: Every day cannot be a good day for us in life. Some days are happy times where as some will be sad. A lot of time, we have to face situations that take place against our will. Life is all about facing unexpected situations! So, ensure to put in your best in every situation but do not be upset if things do not happen in accordance to our choices. Do not be too much attached on attaining desired results, as it will lead to disappointment and upset your mood. At times, you got to value the journey and not the results!

Plan a list of goals and actions: Set the goals you wish to accomplish in life and map a plan to achieve them. When you are quite focused about what you wish to do and carry out things accordingly then a stronger will power will help to support your actions and even your attitude for results.

Focus on important things: Stay focused irrespective of any situation that you might have to undergo. In fact visualize fulfilling your goals. Develop a strategy for dealing with your obstacles and problems. Prioritize your goals! Focus on important things that need to be auctioned first. Also, take out some time for your relaxation and fun as this will keep your spirits high and give you better chances of attaining success.

Associate with Positive People: The presence of good people around you is very important. Always ensure to be around optimistic people as they will always help you to build your self – esteem and confidence.

Take New Challenges: Every day is a new day of learning. So do not restrict your life experiences just to your normal and regular schedule. Take risks and accept new challenges in life. Also, be open to accept everything. You may not know everything in life, so at times you got to listen to others as well.

Forgive and leave your worries behind: Mistakes and failures are the root causes for everything. If somehow you let go pain, agony and fear that we keep it within ourselves then we can release out a lot of trouble from our lives. So, forgive yourself and others for committing mistakes.

Ask for Guidance: Ensure to give a short prayer to god everyday! Have faith in him and he will surely guide you to get the best.

In a brand New Year that we have stepped in to, what is the most important thing that most of you are focusing on? Most of you would have already fixed your New Year resolutions and working towards fulfilling it. And, by now some of you would have even forgotten their resolutions also. Is it that difficult to live up to your words? What is it that is makes you back off from your words! I think, maintain a positive attitude.

All of us experience various kinds of thoughts in our heads – positive and negative. Positive thoughts generate a positive reality. On the other hand, negative thinking leads to negative outcomes. Both these thinking modes are in a constant tug of war in our minds. Positive thinkers tend to deal with life confidently, looking on the brighter side of things – unlike negative thinkers who tend to look at things non-constructively. It is obvious that most of us prefer to keep the positive element plugged to our minds, keeping negativity away. But, it is really difficult to do so! On a daily basis, thousands of negative thoughts at least for a second do run in our minds. And, to escape from such situations, what need to train our minds to focus on good things rather than the bad ones. At times, we do not realize on certain things unless we have lost it. So, instead of waiting for things to disappear, why not enjoy it in the moment. Therefore to train your minds, so that you focus on the brighter side of things you need to cultivate a positive aspect towards life. The below mentioned are a few tips of developing a positive mindset:

The first and foremost is love yourself: No matter what you experience in your life. Never hate yourself. If you do not respect yourself – others will not. Love yourself! I know we tend to pull out fault in ourselves, but do not over do it. Instead learn to improve yourselves by learning, cultivate new friendships, appreciate good work and pursue worthwhile causes. Praise yourselves as much as you praise others. When you start feeling confident about yourself, automatically positive thoughts will flow in.

Be Realistic: Make sure you aim for things that are possible. Hoping for unattainable things is a waste of time and energy. It will only bring disappointment. After fixing a goal, ensure that you work towards it as well. Miracles do not happen. Like if you wish to lose weight, ensure that you take appropriate measures to achieve it as well. You cannot get slim overnight. Likewise, for other things as well.

Know yourself: There is no person in the world who can tell you who you really are. Realize your passions, like, wants and principles. Ensure to fix up some time every week for self reflection in solitude. Only, if you know yourself too well, can you reach out to your goals physically, emotionally and mentally.

Balance your Desires: The world we live in is a place of opposites. Like there are rich and poor people, love and hate, rich and dark, male and female. Well, that is how life is. Everything cannot be perfect with everyone. So, we need to balance out or desires. You might find people around you are richer, happier or living a better life that you. But, you should not aim to have what they have, instead wish for what you can have.